







In English we use the present simple tense to talk about facts or things that are always true, as well as things in general. Present simple is also used to talk about a repeated action such as a habit, a hobby, a daily event, a scheduled event or something that often happens.
In English we use 'do' and 'does' as auxiliary verbs in negatives and questions and we often use the present simple with adverbs of frequency such as sometimes, always, often, never, usually, rarely, and hardly ever.
Notes for use of present simple :
In the third person, ‘s’ is added to the verb form. For example;
work --> works
run --> runs
live --> lives
For verbs that end in 'o', 'sh', 'ch', 's' and 'x', we add 'es' to the verb form. For example;
go --> goes
wish --> wishes
watch --> watches
kiss --> kisses
fax --> faxes
For verbs that end in a consonant + 'y', we change the 'y' to 'i' and add 'es'. For example;
try --> tries
study --> studies
The table below shows the different forms of present simple :
Example Verb : Work | I / You / We / They | He / She / It |
| Positive | ... work. | ... works. |
| Negative | ... don't work. | ... doesn't work. |
Questions | Do ... work? | Does ... work? |
| Short answers | Yes, ... do. / No, ... don't. | Yes, ... does. / No, ... doesn't. |
For the verb 'to be' we use 'am', 'is', 'are' in the present simple. No auxiliary verbs are used in negative sentences and questions.
Verb: Be | I | You / We / They | He / She / It |
| Positive | I'm ... | ... 're ... | ... 's ... |
| Negative | I'm not ... | ... aren't ... | ... isn't ... |
| Questions | Am I ... ? | Are ... ...? | Is ... ...? |
| Short answers | Yes, I am. / No, I'm not. | Yes, ... are. / No, ... aren't. | Yes, ... is. / No, ... isn't. |
Present Simple Example Sentences :
Positive Examples of Present Simple :
Negative Examples of Present Simple :
Question Examples of Present Simple :
| Present simple example sentences | |
|---|---|
| There is no direct flight from London to Perth. | |
| Normally, it's much more expensive than the other ones. | |
| Which website do you use? | |
| I don't like going to hospitals, either. | |
| Do you go to the Windmill often? | |
| I'm not really in the mood to join them. | |
| We all love bank holidays. | |
| Let me check... when is best for you? | |
| Hello, I'm sorry I'm a bit late. | |
| How old are you? | |
| I'd like to one day, when they invent teleportation. | |
| No, I won't... I don't want a house in Mayfair anymore! | |
| Oh sorry, unfortunately, that one is reserved. | |
| What is it about? | |
| Do you need to wake up early tomorrow or something? | |
| But for how many people? | |
| He is fine. | |
| Okay, here we are, this is Honeybrook Street. | |
| Erm... While your hands are already dirty... | |
| Wow, that's unbelievable, is it yours? | |